Mental Health and Wellbeing
Mental Health & Wellbeing
At Lunsford Primary School, we are committed to promoting and supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of all our pupils, staff and wider school community.
We recognise that life can present challenges that affect our mental health and wellbeing. At times, everyone may need additional support, and we believe that positive mental health is everyone's responsibility. By working together, we can create a safe, caring and supportive environment where every individual can thrive.
For further information please read our Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy:
- mental-health-and-wellbeing-policy-lps-2025.pdf
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Staff Wellbeing
The wellbeing and work-life balance of our staff are a high priority at Lunsford Primary School. We are committed to creating a positive working environment where staff feel valued, supported and able to achieve a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives.
How We Promote Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing
At Lunsford Primary School, we foster a mentally healthy environment by:
- Promoting our school values and encouraging a strong sense of belonging.
- Valuing pupil voice and providing opportunities for children to participate in decision-making.
- Celebrating both academic and personal achievements to build confidence and self-esteem.
- Encouraging children to take responsibility for themselves and others, developing a sense of purpose and worth.
- Providing opportunities for reflection and self-awareness.
- Ensuring access to appropriate support that meets individual needs.
- Helping children to understand and manage their emotions effectively.
- Encouraging children to share concerns and worries in a safe and supportive environment.
- Developing emotional resilience and equipping children with strategies to manage challenges and setbacks.
By prioritising mental health and wellbeing, we aim to ensure that every child and member of staff feels supported, valued and empowered to reach their full potential.
Nurture Principles:
Lunsford Primary School is proud to have achieved the National Nurturing Schools Award, recognising our commitment to supporting the wellbeing of everyone within our school community.
Our nurturing approach promotes children's social and emotional development by helping them to build positive relationships, develop social skills, grow in confidence and self-esteem, and take pride in their achievements. We believe that children learn best when they feel safe, valued and understood.
The principles of nurture underpin our ethos and daily practice, ensuring that every child receives the support they need to thrive both academically and emotionally.
At Lunsford Primary School, we follow the Six Principles of Nurture:
- Children's learning is understood developmentally.
We recognise that children develop at different rates and tailor support to meet individual needs. - The classroom offers a safe base.
We provide a secure, welcoming and predictable environment where children feel safe, respected and ready to learn. - The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing
Positive relationships and emotional support are at the heart of helping children develop resilience, confidence and wellbeing. - Language is a vital means of communication.
We encourage children to express their thoughts, feelings and needs, helping them to develop effective communication skills. - All behaviour is communication.
We seek to understand the reasons behind behaviour and respond with empathy, guidance and support. - The importance of transition in children's lives
We recognise that changes and transitions can be challenging and provide appropriate support to help children navigate them successfully.
Zones of Regulation:
Since September 2023, Lunsford Primary School has implemented the Zones of Regulation curriculum across the school to support children's emotional wellbeing and self-regulation.
The Zones of Regulation are a widely recognised approach that helps children identify, understand and manage their emotions. Through a series of lessons and activities, pupils develop the skills needed to regulate their feelings, behaviours and responses to different situations. The programme supports children from an early age and provides strategies that can be used throughout life.
A key strength of the approach is the development of a shared language for discussing emotions. This enables children to recognise and understand their own feelings, identify emotions in others, and communicate more effectively about how they are feeling.
By learning about the different zones and the strategies associated with them, children become better equipped to manage challenges, build resilience, develop positive relationships and engage successfully in learning.
Further Information
For more information about the Zones of Regulation approach used at Lunsford Primary School, please read our introductory letter to parents:
- Introductory letter to parents re Zones of Regulation September 2023.pdf
- Term 1 2023 Zones newsletter for parents.pdf
- Term 2 2023 Zones newsletter for parents.pdf
- Term 3 2024 Zones newsletter for parents.pdf
- Term 4 2024 Zones newsletter for parents.pdf
- Term 5 2024 Zones newsletter for parents.pdf
- Term 6 2024 Zones newsletter for parents.pdf
- Term 1 2024 Zones newsletter for parents.pdf
- Term 2 2024 Zones newsletter for parents.pdf
- Term 3 2025 Zones newsletter for parents.pdf
- Term 4 2025 Zones newsletter for parents.pdf
- Term 5 2025 Zones newsletter for parents.pdf
- Term 6 2025 Zones newsletter for parents.pdf
We offer different levels of support for mental health and wellbeing:
Universal offer - To meet the needs of all our pupils through our overall ethos and our wider curriculum:
- Our PSHE Jigsaw programme – this helps pupils to build important life skills, such as understanding mental health alongside strategies to keep this in balance; learning to learn and growth mindset.
- Zones of Regulation curriculum – to develop the children’s understanding of emotions and how to self-regulate
- Nurture UK approaches – developing the understanding of the Six Principles of Nurture
- Promotion of our school values and encouraging a sense of belonging
- Valuing pupil voice and opportunities to participate in decision-making
- Celebrating academic and non-academic achievements in order to promote self-esteem. This is celebrated through posting achievements on Class Dojo; displaying pupil’s work; weekly Celebration Assembly each week; class assemblies, school newsletters; Dojo points and house points.
- Providing opportunities to develop a sense of worth through taking responsibility for themselves and others
- Providing opportunities to reflect
- Helping children to understand their emotions and feelings better and to feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries
- Helping children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks
- Worry Monsters in each classroom, where children can share their worries with a trusted adult
- Class Dojo - parents can send messages regarding concerns or worries to the class teacher
- Transition sessions to support children’s moves to another class each year
- Allocated buddies for new children
- Informal breaktime/ lunchtime drop ins for pupils to be able to chat/share their worries with an adult.
- Key Stage 2 children as play-leaders to support younger children in positive play
- Quieter lunchtime clubs to promote mental health and wellbeing and support for pupils who find busy lunchtimes stressful
- Positive behaviour systems in place to promote positive social behaviour
- We include Children's Mental Health Awareness Week in the school calendar and plan activities for the whole school
- We offer numerous positive opportunities for children to promote wellbeing and good mental health: lunch and break time activities to play outside; access to the library to borrow books to read; active learning; home learning projects; mixed year group Inspiration Days throughout the year; residential visits; educational day trips; before and after school clubs and extra-curricular clubs
Additional support - For those who may have short term needs and those who may have been made vulnerable by life experiences:
- Check-ins and Talk time with trusted adults
- Bereavement Counselling
- Identified safe spaces for children to go in school, where they can regulate their emotions
- Access to the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service’s SEMH Secondary School Transition Project for those children who may require additional support when transitioning to secondary school
Targeted support - For pupils who need more differentiated support and resources or specific targeted interventions:
- Drawing and Talking Therapy – we have three members of staff, Mrs Cripps, Mrs Lomax and Mrs Tayor, who are trained to deliver this attachment based therapeutic intervention, which allows individuals to discover and communicate emotions
- ELSA Support – we have two trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistants, Mrs Barton and Mrs Cripps who deliver 1:1 support for children who are showing social or emotional difficulties, such as anxiety, low self-esteem, difficulties managing anger etc
- Additional transition sessions for children who find changes to a different class more challenging
- Sensory boxes are available to provide children with resources to support with their self-regulation
- Emotion Explorers– this group is led by our Emotional Wellbeing Practitioner to help small groups of children with the aim to develop children’s understanding of their emotions and their ability to regulate their feelings
- Lego Therapy – to support with the development of social skills, sharing, turn taking and collaborative problem solving
Lead staff members to contact if you are concerned about your child’s mental health:
- Ms Beckett – Senior Mental Health Lead and SENCO, responsible for promoting the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff
- Miss Graves – Mental Health Lead and Mental Health First Aider, responsible for promoting the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff
- Mrs Lomax – Mental Health First Aider and Deputy Headteacher
- Mr Anscombe – Headteacher
- Mrs Taylor - Family Liaison Officer – promotes the wellbeing and education of the pupils, and provides support to their families, as well as liaison between them and school.
Emotional Wellbeing Practitioner
We have an NHS Emotional Wellbeing Practitioner, Becky Steele, who is in school once a week.
The Emotional Wellbeing Teams work within schools to provide support for children's mental health and wellbeing. We understand that, from time to time, children and families need additional support, for example, if your child is experiencing anxiety or low mood, and so they are here to help. The belief is that getting early help can prevent difficulties from getting bigger.
Becky is able to provide:
- Assemblies
- Class workshops
- Parental Workshops
- 1:1 and family support
If you think your child would benefit from this support, please contact Ms Beckett (SENCO).
The Emotional Wellbeing Teams also offer online support:
Updated A5 OSI Leaflet - Kent and Medway.pdf
Terms 5 and 6 workshop flyers:
Please follow this link to understand more about the work of the Emotional Wellbeing Teams:
https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/kent-and-medway-mental-health-support-teams
External support for your child’s mental health and wellbeing:
In addition to support in school, if you are worried about your child’s mental health and wellbeing, you can contact:
- Your GP: they are a useful place to gain medical support and signposting of local services. PCN Mental Health Practitioners are specially trained clinicians embedded in GP surgeries to help children and young people with their emotional wellbeing and mental health.
- School Health:
Parents are able to make self-referrals for a range of support through School Health:
https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/service/school-health/
Support specific to emotional wellbeing can be found:
- Young Minds: Parents free helpline: 0808 802 5544.
- CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. CAMHS is the NHS service which assesses and treats young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties. For more information, visit the websites below:
Guide to CAMHS (youngminds.org.uk)
About our service | NELFT NHS Foundation Trust
To contact the service, you or someone on your behalf can call
Kent and Medway CYPMHS: Freephone 0800 011 3474
If your concerns escalate about your child or young person, please call
NHS 111 — Mental health help 'Option 2'.
If it is an emergency, immediate danger to life/ safety dial 999 or visit
Accident and Emergency (A&E).
CAMHS also have some useful resources for parents:
https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/downloads
Other useful sources:
https://www.kmhealthandcare.uk/mental-wellbeing-information-hub
https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/mental-health-needs/
https://www.mind.org.uk/about-us/local-minds/
https://www.mindedforfamilies.org.uk
https://parentingsmart.place2be.org.uk
Sleep:
https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/information-support/children/
Bereavement:
https://www.griefencounter.org.uk
Books to support bereavement:
- Dogger – gentle intro to discussion for very young children
- Badger’s Parting Gifts by Susan Varley (particularly useful if an older person has died).
- Michael Rosen’s Sad Book
- Tattybogle by Sandra Ann Horn
- Muddles, Puddles & Sunshine by Winstons Wish – is an activity book.
- Vicky Angel by Jaqueline Wilson (a friend’s death, for older children)
Useful booklets/publications:
- mental-health-parent-leaflet.pdf
- wellbeing_booklist_.pdf
- anxious_child_Booklet_for_Parents.pdf
- 10-keys-to-happier-living-wall-poster.pdf
- Sleep_and_Diet_Parent_Leaflet.pdf
- Bedtime_routine_leaflet_for_parents.pdf
- Mindfulness-booklet.pdf
- you-need-to-know-parents-carers-guide.pdf
- schools_info_pack_bereavement.pdf
- feelings-booklist.pdf
Supporting pupils’ emotional wellbeing and mental health, so that they can be listened to, are happy together and ready to learn is vitally important to us. Therefore, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Staff Wellbeing Charter
The Senior Leadership Team and Governing Body are fully committed to promoting and fostering positive well-being for pupils and staff across Lunsford Primary School.
A happy and healthy workforce is vital for the success of our pupils. The culture of a school therefore is critical in ensuring that staff have an enjoyable, rewarding working environment in which all colleagues believe the demands of their job are reasonable and manageable.
Signing up to the DfE Staff Wellbeing Charter demonstrates our commitment and offer to staff, and ensures that levels of stress and anxiety are reduced as low as possible in the organisation.
The Charter clearly sets out our collective approach for day to day delivery and how we work together, providing a framework that covers the key challenges we face as a profession. The charter also underpins our determination to ensure that our school is a wonderful place to work.